What Happens When The Second Male Lead Powers Up [EN]: Chapter 215

#215

The Nineteen-Year-Old Head of the Family (2)

Fortunately, I managed to say what I needed to before collapsing at the Diem estate.

All three sisters, who were awake due to their eldest brother’s sudden departure, heard it clearly.

Though I don’t remember it well.

“You said the Prince was attacked by the Imperial Guard on the way to the Imperial Palace.”

“You said Little Brother was in danger!”

“You also spoke about Sir Johann Haynes, the Berang Baron family, and the servants…”

Antoinette, Maria, and Therese explained in turn.

I had little appetite, so I finished my brunch with two bowls of vichyssoise [a cold, creamy soup made from potatoes, leeks, cream, and chicken stock] and sat with them in the living room.

During the monster subjugation, there wasn’t enough time to explore the vast estate.

There were many other guests in the castle, and we left for the Imperial Palace as soon as the subjugation ended.

It was bitter that I only had the chance to look around this place after escaping the absurd accusation and near-death experience.

The kind-hearted Diem family servants brought me a whole pot of hot rooibos tea [a South African herbal tea] and piled up palets de dames [small, round butter cookies], which they had baked that morning, like a tower.

But I couldn’t bring myself to touch the cookies.

“So, what happened? Did you start the search?”

I asked. Antoinette winked.

“Yes, we sent half of the Knights Order under our authority. However, the search area is vast, so it will take time. The Prince doesn’t know the exact location of the attack, and Big Brother is still unconscious… Don’t worry. Our people in the territory are persistent!”

She said that and sipped her tea.

Even with the Marquis Diem still collapsed and not knowing what happened to Little Brother, she was surprisingly cheerful.

‘Thank you.’ I barely replied and fell into thought.

It was fortunate that the Marquis family was helping, but my worries didn’t stop.

If this was the misfortune Modest Bakari had predicted.

If it was the reserve of the main god warned by Biryeom’s Ark. If Duke Sarnese really…

“Haa…”

If he was targeting me, I couldn’t help but worry about Christel.

I was overwhelmed, wondering how things had turned out this way.

He’s the protagonist’s father, for goodness’ sake. Why is he doing this?

“Your Highness?”

“Excuse me.”

I abruptly stood up and stood in front of the cradle near the fireplace.

Tite and Demi were lying in two baby beds of different colors.

They were provided by the Diem family for the divine beasts.

Demi had been sound asleep since last night’s rampage, and only Tite was flapping his flipper-like feet at me.

I stroked them, trying to calm my mind.

I’m glad you guys are safe, at least. I hope Dduk-ssim isn’t hurt either.

“…Don’t you have anything to ask me?”

I blurted out suddenly.

When I turned around after covering Tite’s swaddle, my second younger sister, Maria, was sparkling her pink eyes.

“Do we need to ask something? The Prince was rescued and brought here by Big Brother, and you told us that Little Brother is in trouble. Besides, according to the Prince, Little Brother was trying to help you, too!”

‘Then it’s natural for us to help the Prince!’ she said clearly.

Short, yellowish-brown hair stuck out from under her backwards hat.

She looked like a clumsy servant, and it was hard to believe she was a noble lady from a great aristocratic family.

Antoinette put cookies on her sisters’ plates and said,

“Of course, we also sent a message to the Imperial Palace! We said that the Imperial Guard caused an internal strife and that the Prince is safely here. So, don’t worry.”

“You know what that means. Duke Sarnese… planted swords in the Imperial Guard.”

I desperately whispered, afraid someone would hear.

It was a precarious situation where a ‘real’ civil war could break out in the Empire.

The youngest, Therese, replied in a small voice.

“Yes. That’s the only conclusion we can come to. But… His Majesty is praised as a wise ruler. I’m sure he’ll resolve things well with the two princes. Big Brother, too…”

‘He’ll be helpful when he wakes up soon,’ the lady whispered and bowed her head.

She seemed embarrassed to have spoken at length and fidgeted with the tablecloth.

Only then did I notice that the girl’s fingertips were trembling.

Now that I looked, Antoinette hadn’t touched anything but her tea.

It seemed that Maria was the only one among us with a truly strong heart.

I bit my lip.

I shouldn’t be the only one scared and flustered, popping like popcorn and fidgeting after going through that chaos last night.

Feeling belatedly ashamed, I returned to the table and sat down.

“…I’m sorry. I didn’t consider your feelings.”

Jung Ye-seo, act your age.

“No! You were surprised, so you could do that. You came here all hurt and covered in wounds! It’s a relief that Mariel unnie [Korean term for older sister] is a healing priest.”

“Thank you.”

Maria laughed heartily and gulped down her milk.

‘Mariel’ was Antoinette’s religious partner, for whom I had been a witness to the covenant.

She wasn’t visible now, but she must have healed me last night.

I should definitely greet her when I see her. I thought that and tried to calm my mind.

Let’s solve things one by one. I just need to respond calmly as always.

There are two adults, the Crown Prince, and Sir Elizabeth in the Imperial Palace, and Christel is the protagonist who always does more than her share.

So, I just need to do well here.

First, let’s go back to the point when the doubts sprouted.

“May I ask you something?”

To the moment when the Marquis and the Duke first felt something was ‘strange.’

“Three things are fine, Your Highness. We love being asked questions!”

Antoinette said, shaking her long ponytail.

I put two pieces of palet in my mouth and crunched them.

The sweet and sour taste of apricot jam and lemon icing filled my tongue.

The sugar gave me a bit of energy.

I rinsed my mouth with the moderately cooled rooibos tea and calmly began my sentence.

“I met Marquis Diem in the Imperial Palace on the day the Crown Prince and Christel were ordained as Holy Knights.”

“Yes.”

The three answered simultaneously.

“He seemed very busy. He also seemed surprised to see us. And I’m sorry to the Marquis… but he asked you to keep it a secret that he was there. Saying there was nothing special.”

“To us?”

Maria tilted her head. She didn’t seem to have any idea.

“Yes. Then he dropped a card. He was very embarrassed when I picked it up and handed it to him. Then Christel asked him… if he was coming to the Blancar Ducal masquerade. The Marquis replied coldly that it would be difficult.”

“Ah…”

Finally, there was a reaction. Therese dropped her head with a dark look.

Antoinette seemed to have grasped the situation as well, and Maria stroked the back of the youngest’s neck with a smirk.

I carefully continued.

“But the Marquis came to the masquerade. With Lady Therese. He also arrived very late and left quickly as soon as the dungeon of the Duchy opened.”

“…”

“Normally, I wouldn’t have found it strange no matter when, where, or what the Marquis did. It’s his freedom. However, there was an ominous prophecy from Commander Bakari that day, and Robert Blancar infiltrated the ballroom and tried to contact someone. Duke Sarnese also showed suspicious behavior around the same time. I regret having to say this…”

I chose my words while holding my hands together. How could I express it indirectly?

How could I avoid hurting those who had saved and protected me…

“It’s okay, Your Highness. Brother has been doing things that are easily misunderstood. I would think it’s suspicious too. That foolish brother.”

Antoinette smiled and took my words.

Even though the corners of her lips were raised, she somehow looked sad.

The vivid expression like an actress was gone, and her eyes seemed to be wandering in a past time.

Maria began to peel a boiled egg with a vigorous hand.

As if not to be shaken by the story that would come out.

“Our youngest, Therese… had never been to a social event until this masquerade. Even though she’s nineteen.”

“Yes?”

I was surprised and looked at Therese. The lady definitely didn’t look that old.

She looked like Eva at best, and her build was very small.

Therese lowered her gaze with a reddened face.

Only then did I realize that I had been greatly rude and turned my gaze away.

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay…”

“The youngest is weak and afraid of strangers. Big Brother has no intention of forcing Therese’s social debut. It’s because of an accident that happened when she was young.”

I put down the glass I was drinking from. Antoinette looked into the tea water.

“Therese had twin younger brothers.”

‘Had.’ I foresaw the tragedy with that.

The lady’s story went back 19 years.

Nineteen-year-old Francois Diem was still a carefree young master who hadn’t even risen to the head of the family.

His job was to roam the territory every day, saying he would invent something.

Ten-year-old Antoinette got along well with such an older brother and often went with him.

He enjoyed being the center of attention, liked the people of the territory, and was interested in monster subjugation that troubled his parents, just like now.

What he was most pleased with was saving lives with his special skills.

Around that time, the Marquis succeeded in developing a magical tool for rescue requests.

The marble I used even at dawn.

“Brother distributed the marbles to the nearby people of the territory for free. He said that if a monster appeared in the village, they should break it at any time, and he would come to save them when a red mana ray appeared in the sky.”

Antoinette said quietly.

But reality is different from expectations, and plans sometimes go awry.

“…The people were too busy making a living to properly manage the marbles.”

Most of them kept it precious, but it was common for marbles dropped while working to be crushed by farming tools.

There were also accidents where children playing with their parents’ marbles accidentally broke or swallowed them.

There were also a small number of people who took the free marbles lightly.

To tease the precious young master, or to see his handsome face.

There were also those who destroyed the marbles without any meaning.

Francois, who went to the scene day and night without missing a single time, gradually became exhausted.

“One day, he finally got sick. Our family was busy teasing him! It was the first time Big Brother had been sick. Even Little Brother said, ‘This time, Hyung was reckless.’ Our parents went on a picnic with the 4-month-old twins, laughing. They also made harsh jokes, saying, ‘Why do you buy suffering?'”

“…”

Maria put the peeled egg whole into her mouth and chewed.

Then she peeled the next egg.

“Not long after, a bright red streak of light rose in the sky.”

I gripped the teacup so hard that my fingertips turned white. No way.

“But Big Brother had a fever…”

“I was irresponsible.”

At that time, a familiar voice rang at the entrance of the living room. I blankly turned to him.

The brown hair, which was always neatly combed back, covered his forehead.

The light pink eyes drew a bitter arc.

At the end of the mace he held instead of a cane, a large pink magic stone was embedded.

“Big Brother.”

Therese hurriedly got up and ran to him.

The Marquis, Francois Diem, hugged his beloved youngest deeply.

“It’s entirely my fault that this child lost her parents and younger brothers and became alone…”

He confessed to me while looking at me. I wanted to tell him it wasn’t. Antoinette immediately got angry.

“You’re mean! Why do you still hurt us with that sound? Everyone made mistakes that day. The Knights Order discovered the hole in the barrier late, and I and Little Brother stopped you too. We told you to stay in the castle because you couldn’t even walk properly.”

“Yes, Orabi [Korean term for older brother] is sorry again.”

“I hate you to death. Honestly, our parents were also at fault for going out without escorts. Why does Brother only become like this around this time…”

The Marquis smiled softly and stretched out his empty arms.

Antoinette glared at the man with reddened eyes, then stood up abruptly and grabbed her dress.

But Maria was faster.

“I’m second!”

The lady ran and clung to her older brother’s waist. I chuckled softly.

Antoinette, who walked gracefully and arrived in front of the Marquis in third place, hugged his neck and kissed him on the cheek.

Lastly…

“We’re here, Hyung-nim [Korean term for older brother].”

I widened my eyes and stood up.

Thump! The chair fell over, but I was too surprised to be alarmed. I wondered if this was a dream or reality.

Sir Erve Diem, covered in blood and dirt, and Sir Johann, as clean as if he had just taken a shower.

And…